Dental floss applicator



A. B. coLLlNGBoURNE 2,067,889

DENTAL FLoss APPLIGATOR Jan. 19, 1937.

Filed June 3, 1935 Patented Jan. 19, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to applicators for use in holding dental oss and applying the oss to the teeth.

The main object of the invention is to produce an applicator which is simple in construction, efficient for holding the dental floss taut for application to the teeth of the user, and so constructed that only one of the users hands is required for holding the applicator in use.

The applicator, preferably, is designed to engage the top and bottom surfaces of the dental iioss container, whereby the container and applicator may be carried as a unit when the applicator is not in use.

In the drawing:

Fig. l shows a side elevation of an applicator embodying my invention, and of a dental floss container engaged by the applicator.

Fig. 2 shows a side View of the applicator with dental floss arranged thereon.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the applicator.

In that embodiment of my invention which I have chosen for illustration in the drawing, the applicator comprises arms I, II, preferably parallel, and an intermediate member I2 connecting the arms III and II. Preferably these parts are integrally formed of metal, and constitute a widebased U-shaped device. In the form shown the arms and intermediate member are round in cross section and the arms I0 and I I are provided with flattened oval shaped portions indicated at I3 and I4, respectively. The flat surfaces I3 and I4 are each slit or notched at two places on their outer side margins, as indicated at I5, whereby are formed tongues I6 and. I'I, respectively, on said arms Ill and II. The free ends of the arms I0 and I I are recessed at I8, said recesses extending across the end surfaces of said arms, parallel with the longitudinal axis of the member I2.

The dental oss I9 is arranged on the applicator by winding one end about the tongue I6 so as to be held between the walls of the slots I5, r then along arm Ill to end recess I8, across to end recess I 8 of arm II and along arm Il to tongue I1 about which the floss is wrapped so as to be held securely in the slots I 5. By holding one of the arms I0 or I I the user may apply the floss I9 to the teeth, moving it back and forth between the teeth and also into and out of contact with the teeth.

A container for dental floss is shown at 20. It is in the conventional form of a cylindrical bottle with screw cap. The distance between the proximate portions of the arms I0 and I I is equal to the length of the container 2U. Thus the floss holder may be carried by the applicator and the two may form a unit when the applicator is not in use. As shown in the drawing the inner margins of the attened portions I3 and I4 of the arms engage the container 20, but the form of these members may be altered without departing from my invention. The member I2 may also be attened to provide room for a name or the like.

Changes may be made in details of construction without departing from the scope of my invention and I do not intend to be limited to the exact form shown and described, except as set forth in the appended claims.

1. An applicator for dental floss comprising a body member and spaced apart arms extending substantially at right angles to the body member from the ends of the body, the arms being provided between their ends, on their inner sides, with curved edges adapted to engage the bottom andv cover of a floss-holding vial, and notched portions on the outer side of each arm. each of said arms being grooved in its free end.

2. An applicator for dental floss comprising a body member, round in cross section, and spaced apart arms extending substantially at right angles to the body member from the ends of the body, the arms also being round in cross section but attened between their ends, and provided on the inner edges of said flattened portions with curved surfaces adapted to engage the bottom and cover of a floss-holding vial, and notched portions on the outer edge of said flattened portions, each of the arms being grooved in its free end.

ALBERT B. COLLINGBOURNE. 

